Things are getting tougher for Phil Mickelson a professional golfer who has been involved in an illegal sport betting scandal. This comes after a wage handicapper claimed that he had laundered more than $3 million to the golfer. Gregory Silveira pleaded guilty on the different criminal accounts of money laundering that were believed to have taken place between 2010 and 2013.
It is believed that the ‘hidden’ client involved in the saga was the 45 year old Mickelson. However, there are doubts that he would face the law as he has never been involved in any franchise. Moreover, the federal government would probably opt to concentrate on prosecuting those who run the illegal betting rather than clients.
His lawyer avoided any comments about the saga and claimed that the case was conducted by another attorney. It was believed that Mickelson sent two dispatches of money in $2.475 million and $275,000 to Silveira’s account where the cash was later distributed to different accounts that were possessed by him.
It was not clear the main purpose that saw the cash being transferred. Even Internal Revenue Service officials declined to say anything about the subject. These acts are deemed to be illegal in U.S with the exception of Nevada. Suspicion grew when it was evident that there was awkward money transfer which involved huge sums with no specific destination. This cleared showed some acts of criminality that would be traced back to Silveira.
This is the second time that Mickelson has been involved in gambling scandals after he was previously fined by the PGA Tour. In this case, he was involved in little amount bet where he waged $25 with a 20/1 odd that Jim Furyk would hit the shot direct to the hole. In addition, he was also involved in yet another franchise that involved tycoon Billy Walters and financial Carl Icahn. The case here involved the buying of Clorox in 2011. However, Mickelson was lucky to pull out of the case.
If found guilty this October, Silveira will face up to 20-year sentence on each account. However, the judge may be lenient and offer him a much lesser sentence.
This article is published in: Sports betting scams
Tags: Golf, illegality, Phil Mickelson
Recent Comments